Sailor Proteus Reborn
by SpaceWyvern
Summary: I basically scrapped my old Sailor Proteus Reborn and replaced it with this one. I needed to change a name or two, change the setting, things like that. Same concept, though, Proteus is back! Rated for violence and language, I may change it.
1. A City So Alien

Well, I took down my old SM story (the second one), as you can probably tell. I just decided it wasn't sitting well with me, cause I could never figure out how the third story would tie in with the second one.

I found it.

So, enjoy this one! It's been forever since I've put anything on I'm scared I'm a bit rusty, but we'll see, ne?

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or the Sailor Senshi, or Crystal Tokyo. All that belongs to Takeuchi Naoko. I do, however, own Sailor Proteus (Who I have not found anywhere on the internet, so hah) and Deathdancer.

Oh, and a word on the below thing... it seems that Fiction Press dot Net does not want me to use -+ or that star thing on the 8 to separate parts of a story. Hmm...

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It was strange. At night, the streets looked so… different. There were shadows everywhere. The light the streetlamps gave off made everything look surreal. The pavement of the streets and the bricks of the building had an icy look to them, despite the fact they were in the "most beautiful city on Earth." Very, very few people would stroll about at this dark hour, even if Crystal Tokyo had the most dedicated police and protectors in the world.

Suzuko was one of these few people. He felt at home on the streets, after the sun went down. This was his domain; none were as swift as him, none were as silent. It was said even the guards at the royal palace were on the lookout for him. If there was ever a notorious thief in this new era, it was him. Homeless bums on the street said he would open a lock simply by talking. Young women swooned at the very mention of the handsome rogue. Suzuko was the "hide your women and children, lock your doors and windows" kind of guy. Thick, dark brown hair covered his head and fell over his steel-colored eyes, brown stubble adorned his jaw line and chin. Muscles rippled under a tight, dark blue shirt, and a black trench coat kept off the night's chill. Worn blue jeans with the ability to hide an innumerable amount of picks or some such and leather boots completed the look. He was "The Man."

Looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed, Suzuko turned to make his way into a nearby alley. He nearly tripped over himself, however, when he saw a woman standing over the kid he was supposed to be making a deal with. Silently slipping into the shadows, he watched the event with keen eyes. The kid on the ground seemed to be stunned, more out of seeing up the skirt of the woman's fuku than anything else. The woman, however, didn't say a word. She simply glanced down at him in a dismissive manner, and tapped the end of her key-shaped staff on the ground beside him. He paled, then scrambled to his feet and out to the sidewalk.

This was a Senshi. The Guardian of Time, to be exact. Sailor Pluto stood quietly, staring at some spot at the end of the alley. Suzuko thought maybe the ancient Senshi was finally loosing it, but it became apparent that that was not the case. The air at the end of the alley distorted, like someone had taken a blender to that particular space. It swirled inward, and a dark haze appeared in the middle of the vortex.

The uncharacteristic urge to run flashed through Suzuko's mind. He was definitely nervous, but who can blame him? Hardly anyone ever saw Sailor Pluto, because things were usually serious if the Guardian of Time left her rumored post. Squinting his eyes at the sudden rays of light that were being released from the vortex, Suzuko watched as two forms began to emerge from the mist. One looked like an enormous horse, but with wings that would make an eagle's look pitiful. Huge hooves made the characteristic _clop clop _of a horse's step, and locks of the mane and a flicking tail became visible. The other form was what looked like a young man. Medium-colored blonde hair fell to just the tops of the ears and as the base of the skull.

As the figures came into focus, Suzuko could make out the winged horse's color and the details of its saddle; the creature was a reddish-brown color, and its mane and tail were black. The saddle had a high back with parts that came around the wings, probably to accommodate the rider as they flew. It was made of black leather, with gold trimmings on it. The bridle seemed to have the same design. The uniform of the human figure was also visible. Earthy color tones made up the color scheme of the clothing; a dark brown jacket-type shirt was over a white shirt, tied at the waist with a wrap-around cloth belt of the same color. Light brown pants covered the lower half, and the legs disappeared into a pair of knee-high black leather boots. A brown strip of cloth was tied around the head, and white bandages were wrapped around the hands. A red whistle with a strange black symbol was tied around the neck.

"What… where…?" The figure seemed to be disoriented. The sound of the voice confused Suzuko. Was it a girl or a bor? "Who are you?"

"I am Sailor Pluto." Pluto answered. "You're in Crystal Tokyo." The girl tried to speak, but the Senshi quickly interrupted. "We don't have much time to talk, listen to me and then ask your questions."

"Whoah, hold on… before you go on, can I ask who this is?" The boy (girl?) pointed at the hulking monster of a horse standing next to him or her. The creature just snorted.

"Deathdancer." The horse spoke. Suzuko had heard of the Royal Family's cats talking, but this was a whole 'nother ballgame. "My name is Deathdancer, and Pluto-san can tell you the rest."

The girl (as Suzuko finally gave up trying to guess) was at a stunned, complete lose as she stared at the winged horse. "You, child, are Sailor Proteus." Pluto snapped her out of her daze. "I've brought you here because…" The Time Senshi seemed to hear something. She turned her head to the side as her eyes drifted from one shadow to the next. "We need to find a more private place. Follow me." Sailor Pluto jumped and rebounded from the narrow alley walls, reaching the rooftop in a few seconds. The one called Sailor Proteus stared up, dumbfounded, before the horse bumped her in the back with his nose.

"Quick, on my back. And don't kick." he said. Proteus climbed into the saddle and barely had time to grab the saddle horn before the great beast jumped into the air, following Pluto up to the rooftop and out of Suzuko's field of view.

The con-artist and professional thief stepped out of the shadows, watching as they left.

ooooooooooooooo

"Can we please talk about where I am and why? And why am I dressed like this!" It wasn't that she was unhappy with her clothing, it was the fact that she didn't know how it got on her.

"Yes. In a few moments. We're almost there." Sailor Pluto responded, leaping across another alley-way as she did.

They continued moving for a few minutes before Pluto finally stopped on the roof of a large stable. Deathdancer landed carefully on the wooden roof, trying his best not to rouse the four-legged occupants of the building. "Now can I ask questions?" Proteus asked. Deathdancer snorted and have himself a shake, causing the girl's teeth to clatter in her head.

"You must listen, first." Pluto said. "You are in Crystal Tokyo, in the 31st Century. We are in dire need of your help."

"Whyzzat?"

Pluto stared at her for a moment. "We… we have a new enemy. None of us saw this. We didn't even see it enter the Solar System." Sailor Pluto bit her lip. "This enemy is very strong… I knew we wouldn't be able to defeat it on our own. So I took you out of your time and brought you here. Once this is all over, I will return you to your home." Proteus stared at the tall Senshi, looking impatient. "Yes?"

"Why am I dressed like this?"

"I told you. You are Sailor Proteus."

"And that means…?"

Pluto gave a sigh of exasperation. "You are a Sailor Senshi, and a protector of the Sailor Senshi Uranus and Neptune. That is your Sailor Fuku."

"Ooookaaaayy…" Proteus drew two kama out of the belt around her waist. She stared at them, as if trying to figure out what they were. Their blades curves slightly in the Japanese sickle style, and the wooden handles were decorated with Japanese symbols twisting down the shafts. Each keen blade gave off a barely noticeable glow, similar to a black light. "And these?"

"Those are the Spirit Kama. They're bound to your soul." Pluto explained. "They're tuned to your energy and yours alone, so it's possible to draw them to you from a distance. Put them down, try it." Proteus knelt and placed the pair of weapons on the stable roof, then stood and stepped back a few paces. "Now, focus on them. Hold out your hands, mentally command them to come to you." Proteus held out her hands, a cynical look plastered to her face.

For a moment, nothing happened. The wind blew, someone was cursing down the street, and a couple of horses nickered. Nothing else, the kama did not move. Just as Proteus was about to give up, the sickles jerked slightly. She stared, wide-eyed, as they flew off the ground and into her hands. She nearly dropped them, but quickly close her fists around the wooden shafts.

"See? Not too hard." Pluto said, smiling slightly.

"Why do you need my help? I don't know anything here…" Proteus fell silent. She was just a young adult who did indeed know nothing about the world she had been pulled into. Not only was she still trying to get over the shock of having a horse talk to her, but now all this… "What use am I?"

"That is why I've brought you here." Pluto insisted. "You have a purpose here, you are needed. You are the one standing between this enemy and the destruction of this planet." She smiled again. "Deathdancer will help you with any questions you have. But, as of now, we must have very little contact until the time is right. You need to explore the city and find a place to live. In a few weeks, hopefully no more than a couple of months, you will be able to join the Senshi at the Palace."

"What do you want me to do, then?"

The Time Senshi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Find a job and a place to stay. For both of you." She gave Proteus and Dancer a stern look. "Like this place." Pluto tapped the roof they were standing on with her staff. "Practice your skills, do some training. Get to know the city." A grin suddenly appeared on her face. "Or--and don't tell anyone I suggested this--try to get to know some of the Senshi. We're very public now, none of them should be too hard to miss. Don't let them know you are also a Senshi, unless it's the right moment."

Proteus looked at her quizzically, then nodded her head. "Alright. I can do that…. But what---"

"I can't answer any more questions. Good luck." Pluto jumped away to a nearby rooftop, then again to the next, until Proteus lost sight of her.


	2. Catch That Thief!

One chapter right after another. Usually, I write outlines so I know what I want to do with a particular chapter. But then I always end up tweeking something… horrible habit. Anyway, here's chapter two!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or the Sailor Senshi, or Crystal Tokyo. All that belongs to Takeuchi Naoko. I do, however, own Sailor Proteus and Deathdancer.

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"I can't believe it." Minako threw down a newspaper, exasperated with the headline. "Another robbery! Same place, same exact piece!" She stood up and started to pace back and forth in the room. "Why can't they just move it? Why is it always 'Help us, Sailor Senshi! We can't defend our property!'?"

Rei tapped the table thoughtfully. "Was it the same old find, then?"

"Yes!" Minako cried. "They found it at some guys house, and they broke down the door, and found the guy knocked out on his floor and some giant slug staked to the wall!"

"What I don't understand…" Ami began. "Is why the thief doesn't just -take- the pendant. Why are they leading us to these people? That pendant is worth several hundred-"

"I just want to know who's the one behind this." Minako growled. "We can't even catch them on tape!"

oooooooooooooooooo

Even though the sun had set, there was sill a faint red glow from the west. A figure with short black hair watched the jewelry store from his perch on a streetlamp across the street. As the sky quickly turned black, it was hard to see him kneeling on top of the lamp post. When the owner of the store finally left, the young man jumped to the streetlamp across the street and slid down the pole. After being sure that there was no one around, he jumped up onto the wall and grabbed the window sill. Swinging himself up to the flagpole, he gently pushed open the unlocked window to the owner's private office and slipped inside.

Eyes scanned the dark room, waiting for things to come into focus. Carefully, quietly, the young man snuck across the floor. About halfway there, a thought seemed to hit him. He carefully took out a small can and sprayed some sort of gas near the floor. After waiting several minutes, he walked briskly, almost business-like to the door. Trailing his fingertips up and down the doorframe, he found what he was looking for; a small wire was connected to the door and led right to an alarm. Taking out a knife and some tape, he secured the wire to the wall before snapping it. He opened the door and walked out into the hallway.

The hallway was even darker than the office room. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust, but once they did, he was on the move again. He knew exactly what he was looking for. It had been the same piece of jewelry he had been using to lead the authorities to the people who needed help. And what better way, than to steal something so valuable that the store owner would beg them to search for it? The clues he left were obvious, even an idiot could follow them.

He was beginning to get the feeling he'd have to hit up a different jeweler. This guy was about to go broke going after this pendant.

Stopping just before the entryway to the store itself, he knelt and sprayed more of the gas near the floor. Several red lines crisscrossed the doorway. "He's gotten creative…" the young man muttered, stepping carefully over the lasers. He would be highly irritated were he to set off an alarm.

There it was. It was a beautiful piece of work, really. The pendant would have gotten a lot of money were he to take it and sell it on the black market, but that wasn't what he was going to do. There was yet another person who needed help, and he was going to get it to them. Although, he was starting to wish he had asked for hazard pay, cause some of these close calls were too close.

He started to approach the display case when a blinking light from the corner of the room caught his attention. Looking closer, he realized it was a video camera. He sighed, glad he was lucky enough to notice it before stepping into the camera's field of view. Walking quietly around the room till he got to the camera, he raised a hand and turned off the machine. The light went out. As soon as he was done, his eyes scanned the rest of the room. No blinking lights, no odd reflective surfaces, no cameras.

_These guys have -got- to beef up their security…_

Finally. He was free to take the pendant and get out of there. He gazed at the pendant in it's display case before he picked the lock on the side. As it was said before, it was a beautiful piece. A star-shaped aquamarine was set in a gold disk, with little sapphire beads around the edge. The gem itself seemed to glow, but it could have been the light from the streetlamps outside reflecting off it's multi-faceted surface. Part of the gem was cloudy on the inside; the cloud created many images, and it depended on who was looking at it. Sometimes people saw a dolphin, some saw the moon, some saw the sun, others saw a sword. It was different to each person.

"Must have taken quite some time to make you, gorgeous." The young man whispered. The lock finally clicked, and he quietly opened the glass door. Carefully removing the pendant from its stand, he gazed at it another moment before dropping it in his pocket. Looking around the room carefully to make sure he hadn't missed anything, he went back up the stairs and climbed out the window. After dropping down ten or so feet, he looked up and down the street before casually walking into an alley.

His destination was a large house several blocks north of the jeweler's. He stared up at it's dark windows before making his entrance the same way he had at the jewelry store. Within a few minutes, there was some shouting and loud cursing, and a flash of white light. After some more shouting, the house fell dark and everything was silent.

The young man quickly exited the house.

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"ANOTHER one!" Minako threw the paper across the table, disgusted. Haruka just leaned her head to one side as the newspaper sailed past. "It happened! Again!"

"Minako-chan, calm down." Makato said. This whole newspaper-throwing routine of the blonde's was starting to get irritating. "We always get the pendant back, and somehow, those slug-things tie in with our new enemy."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, remember that youma Rei-chan and I fought the other day? After we defeated it, it turned into a normal human. Some sort of slug crawled out of the victim's mouth-" This minor detail caused several of the younger Senshi to shudder. "-and when Rei stomped on it, it sort of shriveled up and died. It left behind some sort of charm, but before we could get a closer look, it shimmered and flew into the victim's mouth. The guy woke up a few minutes later and wanted to know what had happened."

"Perhaps someone is trying to help us?" Michiru suggested. "Kami-sama knows we need it, even though we don't admit it."

"We don't need help!" Minako growled. "We can defeat this enemy on our own!"

"Then why are all these people popping up unconscious with slugs staked to the ground next to them?" Rei asked. "We didn't even know some of these people were hosts."

"They're hosts now?"

"Well, what else do you call someone who's got something living inside them?"

"Enough." Haruka said, causing the people around the table to become silent. "We should be thankful that this person is helping us, but that doesn't mean we can let them get away with stealing what isn't theirs. Even if we get it back."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Minako asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Haruka and I will watch the jewelry store for a few nights." Michiru said. "We'll catch the thief."

"Well, you've managed to do the impossible before…."

oooooooooooooooooo

The night air was cooler than it had been before. That was alright, his jacket would keep the cold off. His dark brown eyes stared at the window of the jeweler's store. That man sure was taking a long time to close…

Finally. There he goes. The young man sighed from his streetlamp perch. This would be the last night he would hit up this jeweler. This guy was starting to lose money. _Maybe I can pay the guy back or something… pay double what that pendant costs, or something._ The young man waited patiently as the store owner slowly, hesitantly left the building. Once he was gone, the man went about the same routine.

He jumped to the streetlamp across the street, slid down the pole, and was scrambling up the building and through the window before anyone could sneeze. He paused, crouching under the window of the office room, his eyes scanning the room cautiously. He was getting an odd feeling in his stomach, like someone was here. Maybe the local thugs thought they could do it? They could ruin it!

A scoff came out of his mouth. Rookies, they'd leave marks all over the place. And what's more, they might actually -sell- whatever they took. This made him extremely irate. It also made him a bit less cautious as he moved across the room. He didn't notice two figures watching him from the shadows…

Same old routine. Unhook the door's alarm system, spray the gas, walk. Stop at the entry, spray the gas, avoid a new set of laser-triggered alarms. Look around the room, no thugs trying to steal anything… "No cameras? That's a shame, I thought they wouldn't give up trying to catch me." He said, walking confidently across the room to the display case with the aquamarine-star pendant.

"Oh, they didn't give up. We're lending them a hand." A voice snickered from behind him.

The young man paled. _Shimata…_ "Which hand did you lend?" He shot a look over his shoulder at the two people behind him.

What he saw made him go a shade paler.

Senshi. Two of them. And of all the dumb luck, it was two of the more ruthless Senshi. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. He had heard stories about them, how they could be cold in battle, how it was like they had one mind in two bodies… attractive, yes, but that thought was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. "We're here to stop your stealing spree. And if we're feeling nice, we'll put you in a good cell instead of turning you into a smear on the wall." Uranus smirked.

"Is that a challenge?"

"That's a threat."

He stared at the two Senshi for a moment before sighing and holding up his hands, surrendering. "Do I get bonus points for giving up peacefully?"

"Depends." Sailor Neptune said, giving him a hard look. It was hard to tell if he was just fooling around, but he didn't struggle when Uranus slapped the handcuffs on his wrist. They weren't use to using things like that, but the police had given it to them "just in case".

Besides, they had questions they wanted answered.

ooooooooooooooooo

"Look, all we want is for you to tell us why you've been doing this."

The young man, who still wouldn't tell the Senshi his name, sat in a plain wooden chair, in front of a plain wooden table, in a plain room with white walls. The Outer Senshi were the ones questioning him, since Minako wasn't trusted enough to keep her cool. Sometimes, that girl could get out of hand. Haruka was about to start some of that "old school" questioning, herself. She was beginning to understand how frustrated Minako really was.

"Isn't it obvious?" The young man gave them a stupid grin. "I was trying to help people. You don't know how bad this situation is."

"Aren't you going to fill us in?"

"Not my job."

Haruka was seething. One would swear they saw her anger rolling off her in waves. When it looked like she was about to sock the guy into next week, Michiru put her hand on Haruka's shoulder. "Will you at least tell us your name?"

"Don't have one."

Michiru stared at him for a moment. "You don't have a name?"

"Why bother?" He asked. "People would just end up saying 'that guy' or 'hey you'. What's the point?"

"Surely your parents gave you a name."

"I forgot it."

Haruka was now furious. "When we ask you a question, we don't want some smart-ass remark!"

"You know what they say about assuming, right?"

Haruka blinked.

"It makes an ass out of you and me."

Haruka lost it. Even while the other three Senshi were yelling at her, her fist connected with the man's jaw. As soon as she had done that, she grabbed his hair with her right hand and jerked his head back. "How do you know these people are hosts!" She demanded.

The young man could only grind his teeth. His scalp was starting to hurt, and his jaw wasn't feeling a thing. The taste of blood was in his mouth. "I… I can't answer that!"

_He_ could have answered that, but _he_ would have blown _his_ cover. That wasn't something that was at the top of his list at the moment. "Get him out of here. We'll try again tomorrow. Bright and early." He heard Haruka growl.

Without even resisting his restraints, he was led out of the room and down the hall. They passed several cell doors until they came to one that was the farthest from the entry. "You can stay here for the night." Hotaru said gently. "I apologize for my friend's beha-"

"Don't worry about it." The man stopped her. "I set myself up for it."

"You really can't tell us, can you?"

He was thoughtful for a moment. "No, I can't."

Hotaru nodded, shutting the cell door behind him and locking it with an audible _click_.

He sat down on the bench, and noticed Setsuna was watching him. He gave a slight, hardly noticeable nod, and she raised an eyebrow in question. His reply was a smile and a shrug. "Let's go." Haruka said, leading the way back to the door. He watched them the whole way, until they had closed the door behind them.

"So, what'd you do?" A voice asked from the cell across from him. He looked up to see a young man a few years his senior, with brown hair and some stubble along his jaw and chin. "Name's Suzuko. I let them catch me every now and then, when the times get rough. Not a bad place to be behind bars, you get a place to sleep and three meals a day. I'll be out of here soon, though."

"Of course." Was the reply. He began to unbutton his shirt, as if getting ready to sleep. What surprised Suzuko, however, wasn't the fact that the new guy was clean-shaven, despite the late hour. He had a wrap of some sort around his chest…

oooooooooooooo

"Haruka…"

"I know, I know, I lost it in there. Sorry."

Michiru sighed. "I think he was just trying to get on your nerves."

"Well, he succeeded."

The aqua-haired woman smiled. "Relax, we'll try again in the morning. Fresh start and all."

Everyone was silent for a moment. It wasn't unusual for Setsuna to be the quiet one, but at least two of the Outer Senshi were talking. Hotaru was staring at Haruka's right hand, as if something was bothering her. "Haruka?"

"Hmm? What is it Hotaru?"

Hotaru grabbed Haruka by the hand, turning her palm up. "What's this on your hand? Isn't this the hand you grabbed his hair with?"

Haruka stared at her hand, stunned. There were black stains on her palm and fingers, like she had stuck her hand on an ink pad. She touched her index finger and thumb together to find the black substance was somewhat sticky. "That little…" She growled, her rage suddenly burning again. "That's a disguise!"

The Senshi ran back to the holding cells, nearly breaking down the door to get there. Haruka and Michiru ran all the way down the hall, with Hotaru and Setsuna close behind. They reached the cell their newest detainee was being held in; Haruka was in a rage and Michiru and Hotaru seemed a bit irritated. While no one was looking at Setsuna, a slight amused smile was playing on her lips. Haruka yanked the door open…

Empty.

They stared at the empty space, stunned. There was not a single place in there to hide, and yet the man was gone. "How did he…" Michiru started. She was as shocked as the others.

A laugh from a different cell interrupted them. "You'll never catch _him_." One of their more recent prisoners giggled. He was the attractive rogue they'd been after for a while. It was odd to see a man like him giggling like a girl. "_He_'s long gone, now. _He_ fooled you all, but not me…" He began to snicker.

The Outer Senshi just stared at him.

ooooooooooo

Just outside the palace gates, the air began to shimmer in the form of a human. The young man from the prison faded into sight. He glanced around, buttoning his shirt to hide the wrap and an odd device strapped around his stomach. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he pulled a manhole cover off the street and jumped down into the city's underground networks.


End file.
